July 5, 2011

ST THOMAS

I am getting ship-weary. I have yet to get off this ship, and I am getting tired….and pale from lack of sun. I had duty today, which I always seem to have when it comes to a Port Day. I am not sure if this is a junior thing or not. From what I hear it shouldn’t be. At any rate Gangway Duty, and four Trivia Game sessions today. Which at least is fun…though not as fun as being able to get some sun like the rest of the crew seems to be able to do.
I am now getting a feel for the politics of the place. It is only natural that in a confined place and pressured environment such as this that tempers should flare from time to time. Interpersonal relationships can be challenging in a normal work environment, but in a place where you have to work and live with each other, and there is no escape, it is even more crucial to keep your tongue in your mouth and remember that in the scope of things, no matter what happens, it is not that bad that it can’t be fixed.

This is hard work; there is no doubt about it. When you take a cruise, be REALLY nice to your Cruise Staff…actually be really nice to everyone. I had no idea the amount of work that went into making an enterprise like this work.

Amy came down to one of the events we were working doors at and told me we were to sell an All Access Tour to our guests. For $150 a person they would receive a three hour tour of all the ship, crew areas included. Everything from the Engine Room to the Crews Mess.

It was a hard sell. People thought that it was $150 for the tour, but when they heard it was per person they tended to walk off. One older woman was enthralled with the idea though, and who should be standing behind her but Scott Bradshaw! He was trying to talk his mother out of the tour, though she really wanted to go.

“You must be Mrs Bradshaw!” I said. She looked at me and asked how I knew her name. I said, “I met Scott last night.” He laughed and said hi.

“Do you remember what you told me last night?” I asked with a smile. “You said if I saw you, you would do anything I asked!” He grimaced, and said yes, he had.

“Well then, listen to your mother!” I said laughing. “All those years she cared for you and the months she spent carrying you….”

Mrs Bradshaw looked up at me and said “I like you Michael!”

“I’ve got your back, ma’am!” I continued to extol the virtues of the tour, and how we had been auctioning this tour off for our Annual Make A Wish Foundation money raising, and how $150 was cheap for this tour. Laughing, Scott realized he had to follow through with what he had agreed to do the night before, so I got the whole family signed up. The mother was grateful, and I assured Scott he would have a good time on the tour.
Never promise me something…I will remember it…